Window locks consisting of a tie bar mounting two spaced apart cam members or rollers and which interact with keepers affixed to a window sash are well known. Typically, a handle actuator is coupled to the tie bar to drive it in reciprocal movement, so as to move the rollers into and out of engagement with an associated keeper. One such conventional window lock is disclosed in Canadian Patent No. 2,050,040, which issued Feb. 4, 1997, and has been assigned to Truth Hardware Corporation. Canadian Patent No. 2,050,040 discloses a window lock in which an L-shaped coupler link is coupled at its ends to the lock handle and tie bar.
The applicant has appreciated a disadvantage with conventional window sash locks in that their operating mechanisms are poorly suited to permit the locking of the actuator handle in either a locked or unlocked configuration.
A further disadvantage with conventional window locking hardware exists in that the locking mechanisms are often poorly suited for use in both right and left hand configurations. As such, the construction of conventional window locks necessitates the manufacture of separate lock components for right hand hinges from those used for left hand hinges.